Duleep trophy: Central shut the door on South

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Central Zone tightened the screws on a hapless South Zone on the third and penultimate day of the Duleep Trophy semi-finals at the MAC here on Monday.

Naman Ojha 104 (149b, 11x4, 5x6) and Robin Bist 104* (178b, 12x4, 1x5) batted the hosts out of the contest. The visitors amassed 378 for five in their second innings.

Resuming at 127 for one, Centre kept marching ahead to end the day with an overall lead of 488 runs. Bist and all-rounder Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (59, 162b, 7x4) walked back unconquered.

Bist, who was the top-scorer in the Ranji Trophy this season, produced a magnificent knock after South had taken the initiative in the first session by claiming three Central wickets. Mohnish Mishra and Ojha departed in quick succession after Mohd. Kaif (43) was removed by Abhimanyu Mithun in the seventh over of the day.

Middle-order batsman Parvinder Singh hung around for a while to stitch a useful 30-run stand with Ojha. But it was with Bhuvaneshwar that Bist flourished. The duo added 160 runs in 47.5 overs in an unbroken partnership for the sixth wicket.

After getting his eye in, Bist went after the bowling in the last session. The diminutive batsman, who had been in a hurry to reach the magical mark, finally got there with a lofted shot over mid-on off part-time spinner Amit Verma.

“In the past, I used to get into a shell after reaching fifty. I have changed my approach now and I continue to play my natural game even when I am in the nineties. Bhuvanesh was brilliant today and he yet again proved his mettle as all-rounder. His contribution was significant,” said Bist after the day’s play.

Ojha, who resumed on 79, was not at his aggressive best, but he was determined to graft. It took a while before he reached his ton with a powerful sweep off left-arm spinner KP Appanna.

There were no real demons in the surface although a couple of deliveries shot up after hitting the cracks. South skipper S. Badrinath tried everything — including constant rotation of his bowlers — he could to break Central’s resistance, but his efforts bore no fruit. Lack of discipline — eight no-balls in 16 extras — did not help South’s cause either.

SCORECARD
Central Zone (1st innings): 293.
S. Zone (1st innings): 183.

Central Zone (2nd innings): N. Ojha b Binny 104, Vineet b Kaushik 2, Md. Kaif c Amit b Mithun 43, R. Bist (batting) 104, Parvinder c Appanna b Binny 17, Bhuvneshwar (batting) 59. Extras (b3, lb5, n8): 16. Total (for five wickets in 122 overs): 378.

FoW: 1-4, 2-144, 3-188, 4-188, 5-218.
Bowling: Mithun 21-5-60-1, Kaushik 20-5-52-1, Yo Mahesh 18-4-44-0, Appanna 33-8-131-1, Binny 18-7-34-2, Amit 12-2-49-0.